Connecticut western news., 1887-04-06
FOREIGN FRUITS.
How They are Brought to
 New York by "Tranops.s
An Important Industry and the Manner of
 Carrying It On.


 Fruit from the Mediterranean, says tho New York Telegram, is usually carried in "tramp" steamers, although there are one or two regular lines of steamers ply ing between this. port and the great orange growing centres of Southern Europe. The fruit is shipped in very large quantities, not infrequently as many as 90, 900 boxes of oranges and emons being shipped in one vessel. Long voyages are oftener the rule than otherwise, as the vessel generally makes stops at all the fruit centres, seldom receiving full cargo at any single port. Thus the fruit taken aboard at the first stopping place often lies in the vessels hold for 30 days. This is seldom injurious, as these vessels are not warm, the quantity of fuel necessary to propel them being small. All of the Mediterranean fruit is sold at auction, and when the vessel arrives at this port the cargo is not discharged before the selling day decided upon by the con- signees of the fruit. The longshore men who engage in discharging the cargo of a fruiter must be intell gent and thoroughly understand their busi- ness. The boxes, as they come from the vessels hold, must be sorted, and q separate pile or tier made of each line or mark. This not only gives the job- bers chance to see all of one line but also facilitates delivery.
 Several boxes of each line, according to the whole number in the line, are opened on the dock and shown as sam- pies. Before the jobbers arrive at the dock and spoil it, the sight is pretty one. The long and even rows of boxes standing on end, with the bright col. ored tissue paper, with which the fruit is wrapped and the boxes lined, hanging over the sides, make sight worth trip along the dirty river front streets to witness. To see it ono must be on hand early, as when the prospective buyers arrive transformation takes place. The boxes are hauled around, the fruit is dis tributed and the handsome paper torn and trampled on. Until eleven o'clock the scene is an animated one, the jobbers going over the piles of boxes in @ most thorough manner. Everything is noted, and on the margin of the catalogue he carries, the prospective buyer makes some hieroglyphics which no one else can understand, but when he sits in the auc- ton room the little marks advise him of his estimate of the value of the differ ent lines.
 Oranges and lemons are sold at auc- ton in lots of twenty boxes and over. The buyer cannot select the boxes, but is compelled to take them just as they come. But, as ire quently happens, some superior fruit will be found on one-half of the tier, the purchaser is permitted to elect from which end of pile he will take his goods. This is all the selection buyer IS allowed. New Workers consume but . comparatively small quantity of the importation, very large proportion being sent to inland cities. Much of the fruit is sent over the border into Canada. Oftentimes before being shipped out of town the fruit must be thoroughly overhauled and repacked. The trade in Valencia oranges and Malaga grapes is carried on in the same manner.
 Until within comparatively few years the Mediterranean fruit trade was in the hands of New York merchants, but some of the Italian producers sent their sons here to learn the business in the offices of their agents, and when they had become thoroughly versed in the trade they embarked in business fo, themselves, and now they control the trade almost to the exclusion of the Americans. The fruit importing busi- ness is not alone important to the merchant who engages in it, but to the United States is very important indus try. The government receives several million dollars annually in revenues from this business, duty of twenty per cent. being charged. Every year the trade is growing, until now it is not improba- ble that another auction house will bt opened to compete with the one already established, and which for many years has enjoyed monopoly of the business